Orchid Facts
When it comes to the orchid, facts that you will not believe are associated with its methods of pollination and survival. This flowering plant must be ranked as the smartest plant on earth.
The orchid facts that likely amazes people is the number of varieties that are included in the family. This unique flower has more varieties of flowering plants than any other, numbering between 20,000 and 30,000 species. This is made even more unique in that these numbers refer to naturally occurring species. It should not be surprising, then, with this many orchids that these beauties are found in every continent on earth with the exception of Antarctica.
Now for some truly amazing orchid facts, ones that may truly surprise people. Orchids which fall into the tropical flower category require no soil whatsoever to live. These orchids are called epiphytes. An amazing feature, orchids can be tucked into crevices of other plants to give each a symbiotic relationship. Sago palms, for example, are known to develop little nooks and crannies in their trunks as they grow. The tropical orchid can be nestled into one such little nook where it will receive partial shade from the protective fronds of the sago palm. The sago, in return, receives protection from insects that may otherwise seek to make the little cove their home.
Another of the very interesting orchid facts is in their ability to “fake out” the insects they need to help them continue their species. Some species of this amazing plant are able to lure specific insects by simulating the smell of food. Other species have the incredible capability of adapting their appearance in order to attract what they need; looking like a female fly, for example, is one of the tricky orchid facts of this plant that will actually attract the male fly. And probably the most unique trick of all is one orchid’s act of shooting pollen balls at bees! All of these tricks achieve the one purpose of pollination. A specific type of insect or bird is a necessary ingredient for the act of pollination, and in certain circumstances, drastic measures such as these must be undertaken by the orchid in order to get the job done. This is another reason that humans must protect the environments and habitats of regional wildlife; they all play a unique part in the circle of life of plants, humans and animals and therefore must be preserved in order to maintain a natural balance.
Orchids are beautiful and exotic flowers that also possess a great deal of determination and craftiness that ensures their survival in the wild. Truly, the orchid facts presented here must prove this plant to be the smartest plant on earth; not just another pretty floral face!